30 Day Challenge: Day 3

I thought this was going to be easy, my immediate thought was Vianne Rocher, the heroine of Chocolat but then I remembered the Vianne of The Lollipop Shoes who I wasn’t keen on at all so very sadly she doesn’t make this list.

So who to choose instead? Let’s see…

Allen Karlsson (The Hundred-year-old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared, Jonas Jonasson). Simply because Allen is so laid-back, so affable and so genuine that I don’t think anyone could not like him. He’s a wonderful character and I would love to not only know him but to adopt his outlook on life, I think it would make life a lot easier!

Nick Andros (The Stand, Stephen King). It’s a while since I’ve read The Stand so it’s hard to explain what it is I love about Nick but as soon as I saw his name on the page the memory just flared up and his name was down on the list before I really thought about it. Like Allen, he’s one of those gentle, chilled-out people who a coiled spring like me needs to surround themself with. Not to mention that he’s a deaf-mute who goes from being a drifter to one of the key players in the fight against Randall Flagg.

Buck (Call of the Wild, Jack London). A tireless worker and quick learner Buck has to adapt quickly when he’s stolen from his sheltered life and thrown into the cruelty of the Arctic. Not only does he adapt but he thrives and the journey from dog to wolf is a gripping one.

The Big Friendly Giant (The BFG, Roald Dahl). The BFG didn’t quite make it onto my favourite books post so he’s making a well-deserved entry here instead. Who couldn’t love a sweet giant whose primary occupation is making sure the children of the world only ever have good dreams and whose secondary occupation is trying to prevent his fellow giants from eating said children. A true hero of my childhood.

Iza (Clan of the Cave Bear, Jean M. Auel). I feel this list is lacking the female touch so for good measure I’m including Iza. Iza is a Neanderthal woman who, on finding Ayla half-dead in a stream, takes on her brother (the Clan leader) and adopts the Cro-Magnon girl. She constantly has to fight against the Clan’s beliefs and prejudices in order to give Ayla a happy childhood as well as battling to understand and overcome the differences between them. A strong, loving woman, Iza helps give Ayla the start in life she so nearly missed out on.